HOUSE OF LORDS - United Kingdom Parliament

Government Whips’ Office to agree upon a suitable date. 1 Questions for
short debate are taken as last business or during the lunch or dinner
break. 2 A second question for short debate should be put down only on
a day when business appears to be light.
6.43 Questions for short debate may be taken in a Grand Committee
with the concurrence of those concerned. No business of the House
motion is required. Such questions are time-limited to 1 or 1½ hours. 3
Timing of questions for short debate
6.44 If taken as last business, a question for short debate is subject to a
time limit of 1½ hours. Questions for short debate taken in the lunch or
dinner break last for a maximum of one hour and should therefore be
limited in scope. In each case the questioner is guaranteed 10 minutes
and the minister 12 minutes. The remaining time is divided equally
between all speakers on the list; there is no guaranteed time for
opposition spokesmen. If the list of speakers is small, the maximum
allocation for all speeches is 10 minutes, except for the minister, who is
still guaranteed 12 minutes.
Guidance on the conduct of questions for short debate
6.45 No member may speak more than once except with the leave of
the House. If a member does speak more than once it should be only for
the purpose of explaining a material point in his speech and not to
introduce new subjects for debate. 4
The member who asks the question has no right of reply since no
motion has been moved.
It is not in order for members to continue the debate after the
government’s reply has been given, except for questions to the
minister before the minister sits down.
1 Procedure 6th Rpt 2005–06.
2 SO 40(9).
3 Resolution of the House 31 January 2005; Procedure 5th Rpt 2006–07.
4 SO 30(2).
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